The significant achievements of Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult in 2023-24 have been outlined in its annual report, published today.
The report highlights success in the Catapult’s two focus areas — Net Zero and Future Telecoms — and its continued support for clusters of compound semiconductor expertise across the UK.
Highlights include the official opening of the Catapult’s Future Telecoms Hub in Bristol, which was supported with a further £4m of investment from Innovate UK.
The Catapult will develop enabling technologies at the Hub to help the UK establish a resilient and energy-efficient telecoms network fit for future applications.
Other highlights include the culmination of the ESCAPE project. Led by McLaren Applied, the 12-strong consortium helped to successfully establish the UK’s first complete end-to-end supply chain for silicon carbide power electronics.
The project developed state-of-the-art converter and inverter technologies for the transportation sector, and has led to new job creation, new collaborative R&D agreements and secured significant investment for the South Wales region.
The report also outlines the significant impact of the Catapult to date, including:
- The creation or safeguarding of 4,718 jobs
- £589m of public and private investment leveraged by customers
- 261 industrial collaborations
- £11.2m of funding received from collaborative R&D projects
The report also evidences the Catapult’s impact on SMEs and their ability to attract public and private investment.
On average, since engaging with CSA Catapult, companies leveraged £82.9m of annual private investment and £33.7m of annual public sector investment. This is compared to a counterfactual group, who averaged £17.6m of annual private investment and £9.3m of public sector investment.
Martin McHugh, CEO of CSA Catapult said:
“This was a year of significant expansion and growth for the Catapult as we celebrated our five-year anniversary.
“In this time, we have firmly established ourselves as the UK’s authority on compound semiconductor applications and commercialisation.
“As a trusted neutral convener, we are bringing organisations together to create new supply chains and strengthen the UK’s position on the world stage. Our impact statistics tell this story clearly and show that we’re building communities, creating jobs and increasing investment.
“Huge credit must go to my colleagues at CSA Catapult for helping us to deliver on our vision and purpose in support of the UK compound semiconductor industry.”
The report can be downloaded here.
